The present invention relates to input/output devices mounted within vehicles. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for restricting the ability of a vehicle occupant to input information into such devices.
An increasing quantity and variety of input/output devices are being incorporated into modern motor vehicles. These devices offer functionality previously not available in standard automobiles, such as graphical display of street level mapping data and textual display of door-to-door driving directions. Regardless of function, these modern devices are typically capable of providing output that is customized for an occupant of the vehicle. Customization is accomplished by receiving and processing input from an occupant of the vehicle. For example, modern onboard navigational computers include input devices, such as keyboards or touch screens, that allow an occupant of the vehicle to specify an address or location to be mapped by the computer. Once the computer receives and processes the input, a map or other appropriate information is projected onto the display of the device.
The present invention provides apparatuses and methods for restricting the ability of a vehicle occupant to input information into an input/output device mounted within the vehicle. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a display screen that is movable between two positions. In the first position, the driver of the vehicle is able to view the screen and the information displayed on the screen. In the second position, however, the driver is unable to view the information displayed on the screen because the field of view of the screen is not within the driver""s field of vision. The input/output device is preferably able to determine when the display is in the second position. Also preferable, a signal is generated when the display is in the second position. This signal can be utilized to control the ability to input information into the device.
In a preferred embodiment, the input/output device is a navigational computer. The computer preferably comprises a housing, electronics, an input device, and an output device. Preferably, the output device is a display screen capable of displaying information to an occupant or occupants of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the navigational computer includes an electrical circuit that terminates in first and second electrical contacts. The electrical circuit is completed when the contacts are in electrical communication with each other. Preferably, one contact is disposed on the display screen and the other contact is disposed on the housing. The contacts are preferably arranged such that electrical communication between the two contacts is established only when the display screen is in the second position. That is, the electrical circuit is preferably completed only when the display screen is pointing toward the passenger seat of the vehicle. The electronics of the device are able to detect the electrical signal or lack thereof that flows through this circuit, and control the ability to input information into the device based upon this signal. If the circuit is complete, meaning that an occupant of the vehicle sitting in the driver""s seat is unable to see information on the display screen, the electronics will enable the ability to input information into the device. On the other hand, if this circuit is not complete, the electronics will disable the ability to input information into the device.
In another preferred embodiment, mechanical means are utilized to detect the position of the display screen. In this embodiment, a switch is activated when the display screen is in the second position. Based on the activation status of this switch, the electronics control the ability to input information into the device.
The present invention also provides methods for restricting the ability of a vehicle occupant to input information into an input/output device mounted in a vehicle. The ability to input information into the input/output device is preferably controlled at least in part by the position of the output device relative to the driver""s seat of the vehicle. Preferably, data input is controlled by a combination of the position of the output device and movement of the vehicle. This allows an occupant of the driver""s seat of the vehicle to input information into the device if the vehicle is not moving, and also allows an occupant of a passenger seat of the vehicle to input information if the output device is not viewable by the occupant of the driver""s seat, regardless of whether the vehicle is in motion. Alternatively, data input can be restricted to only when the display screen is in the second position. The method preferably comprises determining whether the output device is in a particular position relative to the driver""s seat, disabling the input device if the output device is positioned such that an occupant of the driver""s seat can view information on the output device, and enabling the input device if this occupant cannot view this information. The preferred method may further comprise determining whether the vehicle is in motion and enabling the input device when an occupant in the driver""s seat can view information on the output device and the vehicle is not in motion.